EASTHAMPTON -- City councilors soldiered through a three-and-a-half-hour work session Wednesday night, engaged in vigorous debate, and emerged with a recreational marijuana zoning ordinance.
After seven months of public hearings, the ordinance passed 7-1-1, with at-large councilor Daniel Carey voting "no" and Precinct 5 councilor Daniel Rist abstaining.
The measure maintains a 350-foot school buffer zone advanced in an earlier compromise. An amendment from Precinct 1 Councilor James "J.P." Kwiecinski to increase the buffer to 500 feet narrowly failed, and a subsequent try for 400 feet also failed.
Carey said the failure of the 500-foot buffer was a deal-breaker for him, and Rist abstained after saying he would not support a bill with less than a 400-foot school buffer. Both councilors, however, thanked their colleagues and said the overall ordinance was thoughtfully crafted.
The measure caps the total number of retail licenses at six. It requires a 200-foot space between marijuana retailers, except in the mill industrial zone. It contains language around signage, odor, visual impact, security, and nuisance conditions.
